Lamentations 3

1 I am the man who has seen affliction under the rod of his wrath;

2 he has driven and brought me into darkness without any light;

3 surely against me he turns his hand again and again the whole day long.

4 He has made my flesh and my skin waste away, and broken my bones;

5 he has besieged and enveloped me with bitterness and tribulation;

6 he has made me dwell in darkness like the dead of long ago.

7 He has walled me about so that I cannot escape; he has put heavy chains on me;

8 though I call and cry for help, he shuts out my prayer;

9 he has blocked my ways with hewn stones, he has made my paths crooked.

10 He is to me like a bear lying in wait, like a lion in hiding;

11 he led me off my way and tore me to pieces; he has made me desolate;

12 he bent his bow and set me as a mark for his arrow.

13 He drove into my heart the arrows of his quiver;

14 I have become the laughingstock of all peoples, the burden of their songs all day long.

15 He has filled me with bitterness, he has sated me with wormwood.

16 He has made my teeth grind on gravel, and made me cower in ashes;

17 my soul is bereft of peace, I have forgotten what happiness is;

18 so I say, "Gone is my glory, and my expectation from the LORD."

19 Remember my affliction and my bitterness, the wormwood and the gall!

20 My soul continually thinks of it and is bowed down within me.

21 But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope:

22 The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases, his mercies never come to an end;

23 they are new every morning; great is thy faithfulness.

24 "The LORD is my portion," says my soul, "therefore I will hope in him."

25 The LORD is good to those who wait for him, to the soul that seeks him.

26 It is good that one should wait quietly for the salvation of the LORD.

27 It is good for a man that he bear the yoke in his youth.

28 Let him sit alone in silence when he has laid it on him;

29 let him put his mouth in the dust--there may yet be hope;

30 let him give his cheek to the smiter, and be filled with insults.

31 For the Lord will not cast off for ever,

32 but, though he cause grief, he will have compassion according to the abundance of his steadfast love;

33 for he does not willingly afflict or grieve the sons of men.

34 To crush under foot all the prisoners of the earth,

35 to turn aside the right of a man in the presence of the Most High,

36 to subvert a man in his cause, the Lord does not approve.

37 Who has commanded and it came to pass, unless the Lord has ordained it?

38 Is it not from the mouth of the Most High that good and evil come?

39 Why should a living man complain, a man, about the punishment of his sins?

40 Let us test and examine our ways, and return to the LORD!

41 Let us lift up our hearts and hands to God in heaven:

42 "We have transgressed and rebelled, and thou hast not forgiven.

43 "Thou hast wrapped thyself with anger and pursued us, slaying without pity;

44 thou hast wrapped thyself with a cloud so that no prayer can pass through.

45 Thou hast made us offscouring and refuse among the peoples.

46 "All our enemies rail against us;

47 panic and pitfall have come upon us, devastation and destruction;

48 my eyes flow with rivers of tears because of the destruction of the daughter of my people.

49 "My eyes will flow without ceasing, without respite,

50 until the LORD from heaven looks down and sees;

51 my eyes cause me grief at the fate of all the maidens of my city.

52 "I have been hunted like a bird by those who were my enemies without cause;

53 they flung me alive into the pit and cast stones on me;

54 water closed over my head; I said, 'I am lost.'

55 "I called on thy name, O LORD, from the depths of the pit;

56 thou didst hear my plea, 'Do not close thine ear to my cry for help!'

57 Thou didst come near when I called on thee; thou didst say, 'Do not fear!'

58 "Thou hast taken up my cause, O Lord, thou hast redeemed my life.

59 Thou hast seen the wrong done to me, O LORD; judge thou my cause.

60 Thou hast seen all their vengeance, all their devices against me.

61 "Thou hast heard their taunts, O LORD, all their devices against me.

62 The lips and thoughts of my assailants are against me all the day long.

63 Behold their sitting and their rising; I am the burden of their songs.

64 "Thou wilt requite them, O LORD, according to the work of their hands.

65 Thou wilt give them dullness of heart; thy curse will be on them.

66 Thou wilt pursue them in anger and destroy them from under thy heavens, O LORD."

Lamentations 3 Commentary

Chapter 3

The faithful lament their calamities, and hope in God's mercies.

Verses 1-20 The prophet relates the more gloomy and discouraging part of his experience, and how he found support and relief. In the time of his trial the Lord had become terrible to him. It was an affliction that was misery itself; for sin makes the cup of affliction a bitter cup. The struggle between unbelief and faith is often very severe. But the weakest believer is wrong, if he thinks that his strength and hope are perished from the Lord.

Verses 21-36 Having stated his distress and temptation, the prophet shows how he was raised above it. Bad as things are, it is owing to the mercy of God that they are not worse. We should observe what makes for us, as well as what is against us. God's compassions fail not; of this we have fresh instances every morning. Portions on earth are perishing things, but God is a portion for ever. It is our duty, and will be our comfort and satisfaction, to hope and quietly to wait for the salvation of the Lord. Afflictions do and will work very much for good: many have found it good to bear this yoke in their youth; it has made many humble and serious, and has weaned them from the world, who otherwise would have been proud and unruly. If tribulation work patience, that patience will work experience, and that experience a hope that makes not ashamed. Due thoughts of the evil of sin, and of our own sinfulness, will convince us that it is of the Lord's mercies we are not consumed. If we cannot say with unwavering voice, The Lord is my portion; may we not say, I desire to have Him for my portion and salvation, and in his word do I hope? Happy shall we be, if we learn to receive affliction as laid upon us by the hand of God.

Verses 37-41 While there is life there is hope; and instead of complaining that things are bad, we should encourage ourselves with the hope they will be better. We are sinful men, and what we complain of, is far less than our sins deserve. We should complain to God, and not of him. We are apt, in times of calamity, to reflect on other people's ways, and blame them; but our duty is to search and try our own ways, that we may turn from evil to God. Our hearts must go with our prayers. If inward impressions do not answer to outward expressions, we mock God, and deceive ourselves.

Verses 42-54 The more the prophet looked on the desolations, the more he was grieved. Here is one word of comfort. While they continued weeping, they continued waiting; and neither did nor would expect relief and succour from any but the Lord.

Verses 55-66 Faith comes off conqueror, for in these verses the prophet concludes with some comfort. Prayer is the breath of the new man, drawing in the air of mercy in petitions, and returning it in praises; it proves and maintains the spiritual life. He silenced their fears, and quieted their spirits. Thou saidst, Fear not. This was the language of God's grace, by the witness of his Spirit with their spirits. And what are all our sorrows, compared with those of the Redeemer? He will deliver his people from every trouble, and revive his church from every persecution. He will save believers with everlasting salvation, while his enemies perish with everlasting destruction.

Chapter Summary

INTRODUCTION TO LAMENTATIONS 3

This chapter is a complaint and lamentation like the former, and on the same subject, only the prophet mixes his own afflictions and distresses with the public calamities; or else he represents the church in her complaints; and some have thought him to be a type of Christ throughout the whole; to whom various things may be applied. It is indeed written in a different form from the other chapters, in another sort of metre; and though in an alphabetical manner as the rest, yet with this difference, that three verses together begin with the same letter; so that the alphabet is gone through three times in it. Here is first a complaint of the afflictions of the prophet, and of the people, expressed by a rod, by darkness, by wormwood and gall, and many other things; and especially by the Lord's appearing against them as an enemy, in a most severe and terrible manner; shutting out their prayer; being as a bear and lion to them; and giving them up to the cruelty and scorn of their enemies, La 3:1-21; then follows some comfort taken by them, from the mercy, faithfulness, and goodness of God; from the usefulness of patience in bearing afflictions; and from the end of God in laying them upon men; and from the providence of God, by which all things are ordered, La 3:22-38; wherefore, instead of complaining, it would be better, it is suggested, to attend to the duties of examination of their ways, and of repentance, and of prayer, La 3:39-41; and a particular prayer is directed to, in which confession of sin is made, and their miseries deplored, by reason of the hidings of God's face, and the insults of their enemies, La 3:42-47; and then the prophet expresses his sympathy with his people under affliction, and declares what he himself met with from his enemies, La 3:48-54; and relates bow he called upon the Lord, and he heard and delivered him, La 3:55-58; and concludes with a request that he would judge his cause, and avenge him on enemies, La 3:59-66.